“I am always happy to play five-eighth for NSW, I have played some of my best football there,” said Bird.

“Ideally, I think there are better players who are probably more suited and I think I am more suited to the forwards but the way that Toddy and Jimmy went down the other day it probably does put a lot of pressure on the selectors.

“To be honest, I weigh exactly the same and I can do the same things I could do then so there is no reason I couldn’t play the position.

“I have played one-off games for the Titans every now and then when Aiden [Sezer] or Alby [Albert Kelly] have gone down so it is not completely foreign to me. It is like riding a bike, I am a Rugby League player at the end of the day and it doesn’t particularly matter what number you put on my back.”

Vote in our poll

In Rugby League World magazine, to be published this Friday, Martin Offiah casts his eye over the players who have worn the number 5 shirt for Wigan in the Super League era. Which player do you think was the best?